The Last Time
by howaboutheadingsouth
Summary: Something dangerous is stirring. Batman knows (always). Zatanna knows. And everyone else in the Justice League will know... In the midst of it members are growing stronger, romantic relationships are building and trust is being settled. So when the war arrives, who or what will be left standing?
1. Supergirl and Brainiac 5

**One thousand years into the Future**

"_It's so weird looking at some of Earths oldest history and knowing you were there" said Supergirl, clicking hungrily at the articles on the Justice League's ancient forum "Look, there's my profile" _

_She perused the screen, Brainiac 5 leaning down behind her. The article read '_Supergirl, cousin to the courageous Superman, completed many dangerous missions representing the Justice League, most notably with Green Arrow, the Question, Stargirl and Green Lantern. Currently she resides in the future'

"_That's IT?" Supergirl asked disgustedly "Half my description was names of other heroes!"_

"_I like your picture" said Brainiac 5 diplomatically. A slightly pixelated image of Kara in her old white-and-red uniform was positioned above her inadequate profile._

"_Thanks" said Supergirl "Let's see what Wonder Woman has done. She was one of my role models. One day she promised to fight me…" _

_Again, a blurred photograph of Wonder Woman brandishing her lasso appeared, accompanied with a few brief sentences. _

"_Score!" yelled Supergirl, jumping up "She finally got it together with Batman!" In recognition of this, she did a wild dance. Brainiac 5 smiled. Some things he was happy to remain the same._

_Kara swiftly ceased her raving "Oh wait" she said, the smile melting off her face "She died only a few months after I left" She chuckled hollowly. "But who or what could have possibly killed _Wonder Woman_?"_


	2. Superman

_Metropolis Hospital_

"Lie back and think of nice things, sir"

Superman did as he was bid, despite knowing that he wouldn't feel a single sensation when the needle penetrated his skin. It was his monthly check up; Jonn insisted it was necessary to regularly review the Justice League's members' health, particularly one as active as he was. Personally, he preferred to have his tests in a more innocuous environment, as Clark Kent.

Last time he had his injections, the doctor had showered him with a deluge of questions about the general Life of the Man of Steel, even reaching personal topics like how he managed time for Lois. _Lois_. Now there was something nice to think of. A spiced woman, with incisive violet eyes, she made witty comments on all of their dates and looked at him without too much awe; a pleasant change.

The doctor promised to email the results back to J'onns email (unimaginatively called martianmanhunter in an effort to escape publicity). Clark stood up, brushed his suit, thanked the doctor and left. He had an interesting news story to cover before Lois.


	3. Batman and Zatanna Do Some Investigating

**I week later…**

It had happened a few days ago. Zatanna had plucked out a businessman from the audience who apparently resented being shrunk in front of his work colleagues. Now she was out of a job and temporarily working as a fortune teller on the street. _Men_. Occasionally she entertained a fantasy of using an ultra-powerful spell to obliterate the offending gender but then belatedly she had realised that women weren't all that great either.

To amuse herself, Zatanna made the cards shuffle themselves randomly. A passer-by stopped and swiftly sat down on the three-legged chair in front of her. He was handsome, scowling slightly and dressed in the finest of all suits. He was…

"Bruce" she said, pleased.

"Zatanna" replied Batman. He cast a look at the rickety table and hand-painted sign that was non sequitor in the Wayne –funded Justice League "What is this anyway?"

Without waiting for a reply, he pressed on "I've received from multiple sources that something suspicious is happening in Luthor's Labs. I want you to open a portal into one of them so I can take a closer look at what game he's playing"

Zatanna felt a momentary spasm of annoyance. He only ever saw her anymore when he wanted something magical done. It was becoming increasingly impossible to envisage that they had been friends: people who enjoyed each other's company. Once, she had even had a crush on him. But anyway. Duty was duty- right?

"Come with me" she said. Beckoning, she led him silently down a string of alleyways until she found a place where she could safely use magic.

Swirling with spectrums of sparks, Zatanna flicked her wand "Namtab rof latrop a" she intoned and suddenly they were in the most creepy place she and ever seen.

"Impressive as ever" said Batman with a miniscule hint of admiration in his deep voice. The room was clean; all the surfaces reflecting and distorting the duo horribly in the dim light. Test tubes containing macabre creations were lined up on the tables. A plane went past and Zatanna found herself shivering.

"You're cold?" said Bruce "Here, take my cloak"

He wrapped it around her shoulders seemingly without any notion of the connotations of what he had just done. Resuming his examination, he made some typical Batman gestures; a swab sample here, a gruff 'hmm' there.

Truthfully, Zatanna didn't know where to look. She had never been suited to this detective stuff, so she self-consciously tried to scan the room without seeing one of her reflections. Maybe the reason she hated them was because of an accident when experimenting with magic one day- a long time ago. Attempting to make an illusion of herself had been taxing work, so she was so proud when she had managed to conjure up a copy. At least, she thought it had been; the mischievous blue eyes and quirky grin had been mirror-perfect. Yet a closer look revealed wrinkles, warts, drips of drool, a stooped spine and white streaks in the recalcitrant curly black hair_. This is what I'll be when magic isn't enough_ she had thought, panicked. _Oh god_.

"Oh god" Batman said. Zatanna crossed the room to look over his shoulder; he rarely commented on his findings. He was tapping a few keys on one of the portable. Quickly, he jammed the 'Power Off' key, just as a well-built, vaguely familiar figure slid into sight.

Batman flung a missile at the 'Door Shut' button in front of where the figure was walking. It missed, kindling a moderate explosion underneath. The figure walked even faster near the room. Zatanna flicked her wand and the door shut.

"Who was t-"

"_Run_"

So they did, down the infinitely long laboratory. A loud crash sounded behind them: evidently the door had been forced open. Clutching her wand to her chest, Zatanna scooted round the stools that seemed to be strategically placed to hinder her progress.

"Finally" muttered Batman; he seized her round the waist and launched them out solitary window. It was an exhilarating feeling, even if their lives and relationships with the law were on the wrong side of good. Zatanna could fly, but usually found it too ostentatious to do so. Right now she didn't care, it was amazing spinning through the night sky…

"Bruce. Zatanna"

Wonder Woman was on a parapet, within swinging distance. Batman shot another rope onto the wall next to her, causing them to swing upwards á la George of the Jungle. He jumped neatly onto the ledge, landing on his feet (show off, Zatanna remarked internally) whilst she stumbled, only just landing on the ledge.

"Diana" replied Bruce.

"What brings you here?" she asked, smiling. It waned instantaneously as she spotted Batman's cloak encircling Zatanna's shoulders.

"We were just investigating. Bruce, errrm, Batman needed some magical help" Zatanna explained, her kinder side wishing to reassure Wonder Woman about her (non-existent) romantic relationship with Bruce. She tugged off the cape, handing it back to Batman. The chill struck her immediately; it was cold enough to knock someone off the periphery of the building.

"Standard investigating. Nothing serious" Batman filled. Without a further word, he nodded at them both and disappeared, congealing into shadows as only he could do.

Wonder Woman gave Zatanna a tiny smile. "I'd better be off. There's some wildfire" Without further ado, she flew up into the cloud-strewn night sky.

"Super" Zatanna said aloud "Now how am I meant to get down?"

Later, she returned to her makeshift stall to find every piece of it had been stolen ('who would want all that crap?' she wondered briefly). Yet she had started to slot the puzzle pieces of her idiosyncratic expedition into place; the dark figure, the test tubes, resulting in a jigsaw so horrifying, it was impossible to feel worried about a splintered second-hand table.

**Authors Note: I hope you like the story- I'll be updating it nearly every night. A lot of romantic and humorous scenes are buzzing round my mind so I still have plenty of steam. For every review I get, I'll add an extra piece of it to the main story. Justice League forever!**


	4. The Founding Members Have A Meeting

The bar was bustling with leaguers and loud enough to be heard two floors up. Aquaman was complaining that the water wasn't fresh, Booster Gold was trying to flirt with a bored-looking Stargirl and Green Arrow and Black Canary were kissing in the corner of the room.

"You know" said Vixen "Someday I think we should have a fight"

Shayera flexed her wings slightly- the idea appealed "Bring it on"

They shared an odd relationship. Truthfully, a large part of it was competition; who was the most powerful, who got the most missions but most of all who got John. But somewhere in the mix was liking, an understanding of what it was like to have prevalent animal instincts.

"I have a meeting tonight" Shayera grumbled "I swear, we have to stop the universe being destroyed every freaking day"

Vixen raised an eyebrow "I haven't heard about it. Is it for the whole of the League?"

"Nope, founding members"

"Another date with John cancelled" sighed Vixen.

"What was it?"

"A movie"

"Be glad you're missing it" said Shayera emphatically "When we were dating he wanted to see the DUMBEST movies"

"I know. Who'd have thought a marine corp would have a world-class collection of Blu-ray Disney?"

"I heard he puts them on the League budget. Lucky Bruce"

Laughing with Vixen, Shayera stood up to depart.

"Aren't you just a bit worried that I'm lying about the meeting and am going to make a move on John?"

"Not going to happen" Vixen swigged her drink.

"Yes, precious John would never betray you" said Shayera, only half-serious.

"Yes, but also I don't think you could ever bring yourself to share John" remarked Vixen.

Shayera smiled "Damn straight"

She walked away, feeling marginally lighter than she had before. Her spirits sank when she entered the Meeting room and glanced at the expressions on everyone's faces. Batman sat impassively at the head of the table, Wonder Woman on his right, Martian Manhunter at his left. Green Lantern barely glanced at her. Flash gave her a smile.

"Shayera. Sit down" said J'onn.

She complied. "Where's Superman?"

"I set up a disaster for him to cover in Mauritius" said Batman "He shouldn't attend this meeting"

"Why not?" demanded Green Lantern.

Batman gave him a less concentrated version of the Bat Glare "He's the problem"

"Superman, a problem?" interjected Wonder Woman "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when Supergirl was cloned and formed into a weapon?" asked Batman. Without waiting for a reply, he continued "Well, a parallel version of Cadmus have connected and obtained Superman's DNA. Their records show that at least 10 versions of Superman have already been created"

"Hold it" said Flash "It's _Superman_. He's the good guy through and through, right?"

"Luthor's running the organisation" said Batman "These Supermans will have taught to attack without mercy, like Galatea"

There was a deathly silence. Shayera could tell that everyone was thinking of the danger of ten feral Supermans being released unexpectedly on the league.

"We'll have to tell Superman sooner or later" said Wonder Woman firmly.

"We could put him though some exercises. Discover more about his weaknesses" suggested Green Lantern.

"Not a bad idea" nodded Batman "You can take care of that, John. However, the rest of the League should track every chunk of kryptonite on the globe" He pushed a sheet of paper across the table "Here are them marked globally. Most are in museums or underground"

"Leaguers should pair up for safety" said J'onn in his gravelly voice "I can stay behind and arrange the teleportation"

"All core members should stay behind. We need to dispose of the cloning device" said Batman. They all nodded except for Flash.

"Uhhh" he said "There was someone I wanted to ask to go finding kryptonite with…"

"No exceptio-" began Batman but Shayera cut in "Fire?" she asked knowingly.

"_No_" said Flash unconvincingly.

"Fine. But no other exceptions" adjudicated Batman. He looked round at them, as if daring them to defy his decision. No-one did, so he stood up and disappeared. Wonder Woman followed him.


	5. Changes in Bruce & Diana's Relationship

Batman had teleported out of the watchtower, and was sitting stock-still on the edge of the Gotham City Civil Centre. His eyes were fixed on a minute spot of land met the sky behind the skyscrapers. Dusk was creeping in; a few stars poked into the folds of the citrus sky.

"I thought I'd find you here" said Wonder Woman.

Not one muscle moved on his unmasked visage. Wonder Woman sat down beside him.

"We're going to die" said Batman, matter-of-factly. His hoarse voice broke the silence.

Wonder Woman neither confirmed nor denied this: "Maybe"

"I can't lead the League in the meantime" For a second she was surprised he was baring his emotions like this but then she remembered his previous statement; they were going to die, so what was the point in hiding?

"You don't have to. That's what J'onn, John, Flash, Shayera, Superman and me are here for"

He didn't reply.

"You know what would mean a lot to me?" she asked abruptly. He didn't say anything- perhaps he knew.

"If we danced together one last time" It was her first dance with a man, that dance at that party. Occasionally she thought of how it felt; his arms encircling her body, his dark eyes locked with hers.

He opened his mouth. "Yes, I know. You're a rich kid with issues, I'm an Amazonian princess. But are we so different?

Instead of answering, he stood up. For a second, she thought she had pushed him too far; that he was going to vanish. Yet he offered her his hand, which she accepted and they started to dance. Like fluid, her body moved around his effortlessly and they stepped and swayed under the scarce stars.

Feeling slightly intoxicated by the moment, she leaned upwards and brushed her lips against his. Bruce halted for a split second before bending down and kissing her fully. Deeply, slowly, naturally, they kissed while resuming their dancing. When they broke apart, Bruce smiled.

"No" he said, in reply to her question.


	6. Flash Asks Out Fire (sort of)

Flash hovered in the cafeteria near where Fire and Ice were sitting, eating their lunch. Across the room, he could see a few people casually asking partners in the mission excavating of the Kryptonite. It had been announced a few dozen times an hour ago; most of the Leaguers were naturally paired off anyway so it wasn't received with much distress. _Okay, Wally, breathe._

"F-f-ire" he stuttered. _Very suave._

"Yes?" Fire asked in her Brazilian accent. There was no time to be distracted by hot accents, however.

"I wondered…that is, I hoped, actually…I thought perhaps…"

Fire continued looking politely curious. Ice rolled her eyes.

"Flash wants you to go Kryptonite finding with him" she informed her friend.

"Yes…thank you" said Flash gratefully.

"_Desculpe_, I was going to go with Tora- I mean Ice"

"It's fine, Bea" said Ice "Does that mean I have to go with Booster Gold?"

She swivelled around in her seat to face Booster Gold, who smiled widely at her.

"Terrific" she muttered. Meanwhile, Fire and Flash were exchanging awkward pleasantries.

"Do you know where we'll be going?" asked Fire.

"Not sure- are there any you'd really like to go to?"

"I'd like to go to a country where I can speak the- what do you call it? Language"

"Sure. Okay. Umm…what languages do you speak?"

"Let's see. Err, Spanish, French, Portugese and a bit of English"

She laughed sexily. Flash chuckled awkwardly, feeling more out of depth than ever.

"So I'll meet you at the teleport pad tomorrow at 10?" she questioned.

"I'm looking forward to it"

"Me too"

"Me too"

Ice smirked. Faux-confidently, Flash strolled away, feeling both joyful and mortified. A few Leaguers sniggered behind him.


	7. Paris, America and the Watchtower

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! As requested, this will be a longer chapter, primarily featuring Huntress and Question and Green Arrow and Black Canary although there should be some Batman moments. I hope you enjoy this one. The next chapter, which will be released shortly, has been planned to revolve around the founding members of the Justice League and the developing plot. **

_It is hereby ordered that all Justice League members should form a pair with another member who has abilities that compliments one's own, wherein you will be assigned a location to find kryptonite in 60 hours. Imprecise locations will be provided to aid individual searches._

"Is there something you want to ask me, Q?"

Huntress twined her arms around Question who was typing resolutely on his keyboard.

"Yes- did you have something to do with the brawl outside of my apartment on Wednesday?"

"I mean…something more romantic?"

Question considered this for a nanosecond. "No" he decided before recommencing his code-breaking.

Huntress huffed irritatedly. Some things you just had to do on your own: "Weren't you going to ask me to salvage Kryptonite with you?"

"I doubt I'm going. Most of the League will, and there isn't that much kryptonite on the planet. Most of it was destroyed by the mafia in a conspiracy to make newborns inhale the smoke to improve their infantile strength"

"Vic, just picture it, honey. We could find that tiddly bit of Kryptonite and then spend 2 days doing…whatever"

She trailed her fingers seductively down the side of his face. Instead of looking passionately at her, Question looked positively alarmed "But several covert heinous acts of the governments are scheduled to occur in the next 3 days. Unless I track them, every PC in the world will have tracking bugs in them, not to mention-"

"Right now, Q, you're bugging _me_. You need a holiday"

He had distractedly eaten some conspiracy-free foods (there weren't very many of them- it made going out to dinner a rare event) around an hour ago, subsequently the mask around the bottom of his face was loose. Huntress rolled it up and kissed his lips determinedly; they were a little stiff but not unreceptive. Instantaneously, the sounds of keyboard typing desisted and Vic curled his arms around her. She grasped his hair, slid on his lap and wrapped her legs around the back of the chair. After a couple of minutes, she stopped and leaned back in front of his computer monitor.

"Are you sure?" she queried.

He processed this for a few seconds. "Fine. I'll go" said Question, his voice a little more guttural than before.

Huntress winked at him "Remember to start packing tonight"

Even Question felt a little overawed at the spectacle of departure. Duos were assembled in a line leading to the teleporting pad: Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E, Black Canary and Green Arrow, B'wana Beast and Zatanna, Ice and Booster Gold… as they watched, Booster Gold slunk a hand around Ice's waist. Ice grabbed it, pinned it behind his back and froze it. From across the room, Wonder Woman scanned the room, looking for Batman. Would he mention anything about last night? She had no idea what to think- she never had understood how men thought, least of all Batman who was the most unpredictable example of his gender.

Batman sensed someone looking at him, and skimmed the room swiftly. He must have been mistaken though, for no-one was.

"Since we're the fifth pair, we're going to Utah" said Huntress, reading from the list. "Not the most romantic destination. Look- Blondie and Green Arrow get to go to Paris!"

"We're collecting kryptonite, not going on a honeymoon"

"Whatever" Huntress waved a dismissive hand.

After what seemed like an eternity, they stepped onto the teleport pad. On Huntress' back was slung a backpack, and Question carried a large briefcase. The Martian's brow furrowed as he viewed the unorthodox duo.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask Huntress to step off the pad. Technically, she is not in the Justice League, so how can she be called on to represent it?"

"C'mon J'onn" barked Huntress "I can be trusted to find a freaking rock. It's not like _that_ murdered my parents"

Question pitched his contribution "Part of the specification of your partner was that the individual has abilities that compliments one's own. I do not have the requisite physical abilities to, for example, split open rocks. To put it into cruder terms, I am the brain and Hele- _Huntress _is the brawn"

"And the beauty" Huntress added coyly.

Question stifled a smile "Yes, and the beauty"

"I'm sorry" J'onn repeated "But it cannot be allowed. Shayera will locate your kryptonite instead"

"Ah, for what it's worth, I was er, looking forward to this particular mission" Question told Huntress, who was marching, incensed, out the room.

"What do you mean?" asked Huntress "We're still going"

As if to prove this, she strode over to Hawkgirl and kindled a brief conversation. Ultimately, they nodded and Huntress broke away.

"We're still going to Utah. Shayera seemed oddly willing to stay here" She sneaked a quick glance at Green Lantern "I wonder why…"

"How are we getting there?" Question inquired "Because the headrests on the seats of public transport actually contain nano-technology that records our brainwaves and sends them to an underground organisation"

"We could take your car"

"It's in a bad condition at the moment…"

Huntress sighed theatrically "Then I guess we'd better take my motorcycle. I got it repaired last week, so it goes up to speeds of 150mph"

"…But I could probably get it fixed" Question finished quickly.

"You got the tickets to WHAT?"

"VIP access to the Eiffel Tower" admitted Ollie. Dinah hugged him tightly. "I have the best boyfriend ever"

"Some may disagree"

She was just about to question who, but a small thought struck her "Was it something to do with the kryptonite?"

"Well… yes and no. It's tracked to be somewhere around it. After we found it, I thought we could walk up it together"

"Sounds good" She smiled contentedly; Paris really was the city for lovers. Broad and bright, it was _plein de lumieres _which made her think of storybooks of mythical cities, where magic happened. Ollie was like magic really; he brought to her erratic life some stability. And in their profession, where stability showed itself, you grabbed it with both fists. She yearned to finish their mission quickly and spend a romantic evening with him.

"Here's how I think it should work" said Dinah "We'll start at the front of the Eiffel Tower and take a different direction around it to search for the kryptonite"

Ollie shrugged "Okay, pretty bird"

He took the right, and she the left. After three hours of searching through bushes and in ponds, they accidently met behind the Eiffel Tower where they confirmed the other's lack of windfall.

"We aren't going to get this done by tonight" said Dinah.

Seeing her dejected expression, Ollie produced the VIP tickets "We might as well go up there and enjoy the view. Who knows, we may even see the kryptonite down below"

Dinah knew as well as he did that the City of Lights had its namesake for a reason, thus it would be difficult to distinguish the kryptonite from all the other lights, providing it was big enough to be spotted. But it was a sweet thought.

"All right then"

He extended the crook of his arm "May I?"

She smiled as she slid her slim forearm to meet his.

It was their first road trip, unless you counted the time he nearly crashed it into a train when they were tracking Mandragora, which Huntress didn't. Impatient, she drove a little lot too fast and got pulled over by a rather young and juvenile looking cop. Crap- she only had 3 points left on her license. If he charged her for speeding, she'd lose it altogether. Luckily, she was wearing her civilian clothes and was thus able to blink innocently up at him.

"Oops officer. Was I going too fast?"

He was merciless: "May I see your license, please?"

She extracted her fake license from the glove-box and passed it to the policeman, remembering to feign shock as her fingers brushed his. "This your boyfriend?" He nodded towards Q, who was sitting arms folded, head turned away so he couldn't see his lack of visage.

"No, just a friend" _With a lot of extra kissing._

The policeman paused for a moment, perusing her license.

"Well" he said "What can I say? This isn't the piece of paper I need to see"

Panic banged in her chest for a moment. Had he figured out that that was her fake license? _Play it cool, Helena._

"What is, officer?" she pouted.

He flashed her a salacious grin "Your phone number"

"I thought you'd never ask" she purred, scribbling a few random digits onto a piece of paper and handing it over. In return, he passed her back her license, and a wink.

"I'll call you later, beautiful"

"You better" She revved up the engine and drove at a frustrating speed before glancing in the wing-mirror and adopting her original pace. Silence reigned for a minute or two.

"Is that what you're going to do with every cop from here to Utah?" Question inquired sarcastically.

"Don't need to"

For an exuberantly large sign welcomed them to Utah. Some potholes made the car bump and the relief of the bright umber land was rocky. In comparison, it made the sky look very blue.

"I wonder which of these rocks has the kryptonite in" Huntress mused aloud. Question didn't reply. She glanced at him before switching her attention back to the road; he was probably generating some crackpot theory, she thought affectionately.

They drove the rest of the way in silence.

Ollie and Dinah traipsed up enough stairs to make both of them dizzy, yet persevered until they reached the Upper Deck. It was surprisingly empty, noted Dinah, considering how many tourists flocked here. Although her eyes browsed the presented information on the history of the Eiffel Tower, she really wanted to stand on the balcony. Walking out there next to Ollie, refreshed her retracting the tiredness that the inordinate stairs had brought. Above her, the city lights gleamed: an ocean of neon. The binoculars she had brought were in her bag; she removed them and gazed at the view. "Dinah…" She side-glanced at Ollie but continued admiring the view, feeling a rush of excitement. The suspiciously empty deck, the VIP tickets and the nervousness of her compatriot were all coming together in her mind.

"I have loved you since…"

"Hold it" she said suddenly "What's that, up there?" Dinah passed the binoculars to Ollie, and pointed at the barely-visible tip of the tower.

Frowning, he paused for a second, twiddling the knob of the binoculars to enlarge the view.

"I don't believe it- it's the kryptonite"

For it was; a tiny fragment, positioned on the point of the tower. The irony was incredible. However, there was no time for that.

"Could you shoot at it?" she asked Green Arrow.

He shook his head "Best case scenario, the arrow hits the kryptonite and sticks. Worst case scenario, I take the whole point of the Eiffel Tower off"

"I'll have to climb it"

"You can't- it's too high! Even if you didn't fall to your death, you'd be arrested in shot"

She grabbed one of the metal bars and, internally smiling at his unintended pun, hauled herself up. Torn between his concern in her wellbeing, and his faith in Dinah, Ollie watched as she leapt from girder to girder. There was no mistaking her training; her dexterity and carefully trained eye prevented her from mishap on her vertical ascend.

"Dinah" he unexpectedly called upwards "I love you"

He thought he heard her call something back, but couldn't be sure. The metal she was leaping on was growing rustier and more eroded so she needed every piece of concentration. In what seemed like an eternity to both of them, she had reached the top. Coiling herself like a monkey around the frame of the summit, she extended a hand to reach the shard of kryptonite which could only be identified by its faint greenish glow.

"Ah- hah!" It was now in her fist. Nevertheless, she had let her guard down soon for the stone was so miniscule it slipped between the space of her fingers and palm. Cursing, she used both hands to grab at it whilst sliding down the peak of the tower with her legs. She caught it- barely- but found herself in a predicament. At least one hand was needed to climb down, but both were needed to keep hold of the kryptonite.

Her earpiece activated; "Dinah?" It was Ollie.

"I'm in a bit of a situation" Her words sounded hollow and humourless.

"Can't you get down?"

"No"

"I'll do something"

"You can't"

It was the truth. Her legs were turning mottled and slowly relinquishing their grip. She was many miles up from anywhere and anyone. She felt like she must cry, or say something profound, but somehow she felt beyond all emotion.

J'onn looked at the screen. "I should send for help" he muttered, pressing a few buttons.

"Don't" said Batman unexpectedly. He had lifted his head from his computer screen and was eyeing J'onn with complete conviction. "She can do it"

"Dinah" It was Ollie, again "I need you to jump"

Now she felt tears "I can't. I'll fall to my death"

"It's only a matter of time if you don't, pretty bird. Trust me- I promise I won't let you fall"

She didn't know if it was love for Ollie, or fatigue that drove her to jump. In years to come, she would speak often of the experience, but mainly the feeling of relief once she fell and collided with the maintenance platform Ollie had driven up to meet her with.

"Ouch" She lay on the mesh metal floor, still feeling the wind whip her face and clutching the kryptonite in her palm. Ollie heaved her up and let her crash into his chest; she was crying slightly and gratefully leant on him.

"Shh" he soothed while massaging her back.

"By the way, my answer is yes. I will marry you, Ollie" she choked. Seeming abashed that she had figured out his proposal before he even started on his speech, Ollie reached into his pocket and placed the ring on her finger. Then he smiled the hugest smile she had ever witnessed on his face.

"Forget the top of the Eiffel Tower, pretty bird. We're headed for the stars…"

When they descended, the pair were instantly assaulted by a large, abrasive crowd that were quick to spot the topaz ring glittering on Dinah's finger and the smiles on both their faces.

"Are you marrying this vigilante, Mr Queen?"

"Black Canary, give me a comment- what compelled you to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower?"

"Mr Queen, what can you say about the actions of your fiancée concerning her treatment of this fragile, patriotic monument?"

"Canary, don't marry him, marry me!"

They fought their way through the throng before dashing down the solace of a side street.

"Have you still got the kryptonite?" asked Ollie.

"I put it somewhere safe" said Dinah, touching her bra "I bet we're the first to have found it"

She wasn't wrong. In Utah, Huntress and Question had been breaking up rocks for over six hours. To Huntress' delight, Question had removed his shirt in the heat and now was steadily working, sweat beading his muscular chest.

As the night drew in, Huntress sighed "We better call it a day"

Regretfully, Question donned his shirt and complying with her suggestion, walked to the tiny nearby tourist shop.

"I wouldn't normally bother, but I should bring back something for my students"

Of course. Huntress was a teacher by day, Question recalled. It seemed in some ways the perfect profession for her; her energy, charisma and intelligence would have probably well-established her in the teaching field. In that way he admired her- she managed to create two equally satisfying lives that she could pursue.

She collected a box of fudge ("Aren't you going to get anything, Q?"), took it to the till and paid for it.  
Linking arms with him, she prepared to leave but noticed him staring at the checkout woman. She felt, at first, tempted to slap him for staring at her chest. Yet his attention seemed to be fixed on something above the woman's endowments; a peculiar green necklace that shone dully.

"Kryptonite" he breathed.

Repeatedly offering to buy using his creepy faceless man mojo only caused Question to be thrown out of the shop. Helena knew she could easily overpower the woman and obtain the necklace. But she was already in the bad books of J'onn- any more so and she could potentially get Question thrown out of the League too for coercing with her. And he did love his work.

"Hello, I'm Professor Helena Bertram". A nice, firm handshake produced a smile from the woman: "How may I help you?"

"I'm a geologist here for a convention. Unfortunately I noticed the minute you stepped into this hop that the necklace you're wearing is made out of a stone called… Victorium. It is extremely harmful as it slowly secretes ionising radiation which as I'm sure you're aware, causes cancerous cells. If you would place it in this bag"- here she produced a leather bag from her utility belt- "I will safely dispose of it"

"Give me ID"

Huntress produced her fake ID with a flourish. The woman momentarily checked it and pushed it back.

"And you say…it's definitely dangerous?"

"In the long run, if you're close to it, yes"

"Well, then, I suppose I'd better hand it over" The woman unhooked the necklace, dropped it into the bag and sighed "I should tell Daniel that his gift was stupid, just like him".

"Thank you" nodded Huntress as soon as the necklace hit the bottom of her bag. She felt her conscience stab her, to her surprise- it usually operated when she was Helena Bertinelli, teacher.

"Please take this compensation" And Huntress removed all her money from her wallet and placed it on the counter. Before the woman could protest she had vanished.

Walking to meet Question by the car, she belatedly realised she had given the woman roughly 150 dollars and in return gained a fingernail-sized chunk of rock.

"Well done" said Question quietly.

It wasn't like she was that much of a saint. Later, when she had changed into her little red dress which she always carried around, she relished the feeling of power it brought when she sashayed out of the restroom to greet Questi-_Vic_. Nearly every man in the bar was watching hopefully, and nearly every man in the bar was disappointed when she sat down next to the stranger who sat hidden in the shadows.

Question himself felt fortunate he was wearing a mask; behind it, his mouth was open and his eyes were boggling. Helena in her costume was attractive, but in evening wear she was _stunning_. His trench coat seemed to suddenly smother him, for he felt several degrees too hot.

"Oh man" said one of the unshaven men idly smoking at the counter "She's one hot item. Do you ever feel intimidated by how much like a model she is?"

Truthfully, yes. The memory of how easily she had wrapped the buffoon of a cop around her little finger was still sore (he had no right to be- the American police belonged to a little-known agency that forced women to shell nuts for a slave wage). Throughout it all, he had sat, fruitlessly trying to unravel the whorl of jealousy in his chest. There was little doubt that he liked her- she was unique, confident and made his heartbeat just too fast for comfort. Whenever he was around her, the endless numbing numbers that flashed in the vision subsided enough to make him feel like a more whole human. But what did she see in a guy like him? A friend? A lover? A toy?

For once, the conspiracy mastermind was stumped.

Helena returned to their isolated table, humming a romantic song and carrying two wineglasses to find that Vic was gone.

"Sorry" said one of the men close by "He muttered something about a cop and left…"

The bus doors opened with a hiss for the umpteenth time. More rain entered the dusty interior, accompanied with someone evidently attractive- the wolf whistles irritated Vic's throbbing head.

He planned to go back to the hotel and catch up on some work; it may help restore his usual clarity on the situation. An ache in his temple prevented this suggestion from seeming appealing, however. Only now he had realised that the devices in the back of his seat were monitoring his brainwaves before remembering he had inbuilt defensive nano-technology in the back of his fedora, part of the reason he relied on it. Honestly, he just wanted to sleep, and dream of Helena telling him things she never would in real life. _Although dreams are primarily influenced by the signals from phone masts-_

Someone sat down next to him. Perfunctorily, he glanced at them and saw Helena, in a rain soaked little red dress.

"Vic" she said with a nuance of tearfulness.

"Helena" he replied, deliberately with no inflection. Naturally she'd track him down- it was in her name: _Hunt_ress.

"You are an idiot" she practically yelled, all traces of tears gone "Why did you run off like that? It wasn't what those asses at the bar said, was it?" Her eyes narrowed "It was. How could you not know about how I feel about you when it's been so blatantly obvious to everyone around us? I think about you all the time. You're not like those boring little men. You don't show emotion but you don't fake it either. You're beautiful. You're amazing. And that's why I love you, Vic"

Vic just stared at her. Helena had counted 46 seconds before, bit by bit, he reached into his briefcase and withdrew an aerosol. She understood, as he sprayed his face, that it was the ultimate act of love, to reveal his identity in public for the sake of sharing this moment with her. As his face emerged, Helena saw his eyes were soft with emotion.

"Helena" he said "I love you too. So, so much"

He leant towards her, and she leant forwards too, and they kissed, feeling the same sensations from the first time.

"We've missed our stop" commented Huntress, lifting her face up and wrapping her arms around Vic's shoulders.

"So we have"

"Just goes to show, people shouldn't trust public transport" added Helena, and they smiled at one another. Reaffixing her mask, Huntress sprang out her seat and aimed her crossbow at the bus driver.

"Take us back three stops" she commanded loudly. There was a collective gasp.

"I wouldn't recommend making her angry" said Question who, thanks to the aerosol, was faceless once more.

Quite what the bus driver found most disturbing it was unclear, but he executed a fabulously illegal U-turn to head in the reverse direction.

Huntress kept the crossbow steady until the bus slowed on the street of the hotel and the doors clanked open. They leapt deftly onto the curb. They were Huntress and Question; carriers of secrets, partners in crime and lovers. And they were never going to be anything less.

"They've done well. Especially Huntress" said J'onn, swiping at a screen near the controls.

Batman looked up as Wonder Woman crossed the room. He arose also, and sweeping past her muttered 'Midnight tonight. Meet me here'. Surprised, she looked at him but he had crossed to the other side of the room and was already seemingly engrossed in research. Green Lantern massaged his forehead tiredly. Shayera sat with her elbows on her legs. Superman watched them all, slightly bemusedly

"I wish we could say the same…"


	8. The Lull Before The Storm

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews- they means a lot to me! Anyway, in this chapter we'll head to back to the founding seven. The chapter after this should be released soon.**

Since nearly everyone had gone to hunt kryptonite, the watchtower was surprisingly quiet; normally the sounds of chatter and the odd shriek could be heard from every part of it. Diana couldn't decide if she preferred it this way or not. She had grown up in a community where people knew each other by name and conversed frequently, although if someone imparted a secret, everyone would know it two hours later. On the whole, she decided she didn't like the silence.

Flash was with Fire (probably talking with her and overusing the word 'cool') John had been on Earth, testing Superman's abilities. Shayera was god knows where. Batman was… well, two hours left to go until she met him.

The immediate feminine hysteria of 'what should I wear?' had surfaced. On one hand she wanted to look nice, but on another she didn't want to look like all the other girls that he had dated, with glossy hair, tight dresses that bared long legs and a neckline that was the very definition of 'immodesty'. Nerves temporarily weakened her strong muscles.

Two hours to go.

Superman wondered why John was making him lift up lorries. Not that it was much bother- it just seemed weird that here he was in a junkyard, heaving vehicles over his head while John made notes on a clipboard. Also, the atmosphere in the League at the moment seemed a little tender- whenever he got up, even just to his room, people would look slightly alarmed.

"Why am I doing this, GL?" he asked casually, crushing two rusty cranes together.

"Oh, you know" said John. He really was a terrible liar. "Just more standard checks. Err…I did them myself a few days ago"

"Oh really?" said Superman, unconvinced.

Sensing his distrust, Green Lantern hastily ran his fingers down the clipboard.

"Do you have super speed?" he asked._ Please god; don't give him another superpower that we have to fight against._

"I might do, though I'm certainly no Flash"

Superman jogged across the yard experimentally. He then inhaled and spurted across the ground at a speed that would have induced envy from Usain Bolt, like a shooting star; fleeting and powerful. Green Lantern's heart sank.

"Looks like I do" said Superman, with curiosity in his speech as opposed to arrogance "I suppose that will be useful at some point"

"Promise not to tell Flash- he'll get jealous"

"I won't"

Thus Superman closed his eyes- he could hear about 100m away two familiar voices.

"Oh Bruce, that's too much!" laughed one.

Lois Lane stood scribbling on her customary notepad, Batman at her side. Superman's hackles rose- he remembered they had dated once- but relaxed as he saw the distance between them.

"Hello, Superman" she said, peeping up at him slyly through her eyelashes.

Superman grinned, feeling boyish "Hello, Lois"

"I thought the public should have coverage of the threat" Batman informed Green Lantern in an undertone, referring to Lois "Nice treat for him too"

_Heck knows we may only have a few days left _thought Green Lantern.As he was thinking this, he saw Batman check his watch.

"Got plans for tonight?"

"Yes" Batman didn't elaborate.

"So would you care to comment on your training?" Lois asked Superman intently.

"Just this: training makes the League stronger and when we get stronger, we can protect the public better" said Superman.

Lois pulled a mock-disappointed face "Come on, can't you give me something more juicy?" She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and gnawed her penlid.

Superman's grin was renewed "If you want" A gust of wind nearly knocked her over. She righted herself, and saw to her amazement Superman was standing beside her, holding a sprig of cherry blossom.

"Japanese cherry blossom- this juicy enough for you?" He adroitly affixed the blossom in her sleek black hair.

As Lois was verbally visualising the headlines for her article, Batman wondered, just for a second what Diana might say if she were witnessing Superman's gift to Lois. Probably something like "One puppy-dog face from Lois and he goes all macho-male"; she had a tongue as incisive as her lasso.

"Have you seen Shayera?" asked Green Lantern.

"I know where she is" Batman re-checked his watch. Green Lantern was just about to probe further when he noticed Batman had dematerialised. It was a disconcerting departure at the best of times, John thought irritatedly, but something about Batman seemed slightly different today. Maybe it was the way he had stated the softer reason for bringing Lois, for Superman's sake, or the way he persistently checked his watch. That date of his is a good influence on him, John noted.

As much as it pained her to admit it, Diana was taking advice from Shayera, who had informed her it was vital to turn up to one's date late. Additionally, since her date was Batman, who obviously knew how much he could electrify her, it seemed necessary to prove that she could keep him on edge too. So she carefully timed ten minutes before swanning into the Control Room. She had judiciously selected her armour to wear, for it was unlikely that he would wear civilian clothes. And her guess was correct; still in his costume, he was 'hmm'ing over some data on a computer screen. Sensing her presence, he looked up.

"Diana" he began, but then looked behind her "Get away!"

BOOM.

Something exploded behind her, but she could only hear it as Batman had launched himself over her, his warm body covering hers. Jumping up, he proffered a hand which she seized, utilising the connection to fly to one of the pipes on the ceiling. The perpetrator of the explosion came into view; it was a laughably tiny robot that looked like a failed Tetris game, as it was constructed unevenly out of coloured blocks that allowed its height to reach two feet. It trundled over to the small punching-bag in the corner of the room.

"_Surrender- your- weapons_" it commanded "_I-am-the-superior-being. My-makers-have-created-me-to-wreak-distraction_"

"Shouldn't that be 'destruction'?" whispered Diana to Batman who was busy studying the robot.

"Don't let your guard down" he murmured "The most dangerous mushrooms are the ones that look the safest"

He clearly wanted to see what the robot would do to the punching-bag, but Diana was having none of it. She flew down and with one smart blow demolished the robot completely. The air was pungent; riddled with sulphur which made Batman wince slightly as he bent closer to examine its smoky remains.

He chuckled slightly; probably the first time she had ever heard him do so. "Harmless. You were right"

"Always am" She felt the chemistry between them thicken slightly as he looked at her squarely in the eye. Then the door opened (Diana nearly cursed aloud with frustration), and a bloodied Shayera literally fell into the room. Falteringly, she heaved herself back up as they both ran over.

"I'm okay" breathed Shayera, although it was unclear whether she was reassuring them or herself.

"Where were you?" demanded Diana "What happened? Because the Watchtower was infiltrated and it might have been serious…"

"Batman" said Shayera "Can I talk to you alone?"

He nodded and Diana walked leisurely to the door. Just as she was about to push the button to open it, Batman was by her side. "I'll catch up with you later" he said and kissed her lightly on the cheek, a butterfly kiss. Immediately, she felt swirls of energy rush to that spot on her face. Her hand shook a little as she pressed the pad to open the door.

"What is it, Shayera?" asked Batman, a tad tersely.

She didn't intend to be melodramatic, merely speak the truth "The Supermans are being liberated tomorrow. It's the end, Bats"

.


	9. The Battle

**A/N: This will be the penultimate chapter; but I'll post an epilogue after this. I'd like to thank all readers and the reviewers who have stuck by me- I hope you enjoy the ending! **

The crowds of Leaguers shuffled as Batman took the microphone. They were accustomed to having handsome, charismatic Superman address them; not the introverted Batman. Batman was equally uncomfortable- he hated large crowds, his every move was watched.

"I'll make this brief. Tomorrow, the station is going to be attacked by ten versions of Superman who will have no trepidation about tearing you into pieces. There is every chance that you will die. You can run but it is unlikely that you will be safe anywhere. The public has been warned although we aim to keep the fight in the Watchtower or at the very least in the less inhabited places on Earth" He paused, creating a consuming silence. Involuntarily, he looked at Diana who gave him an encouraging half-smile "I'd recommend you spend the evening with someone you love" Abandoning the microphone, he started to walk towards the founding members but an insistent voice questioned "When we're fighting these Supermans, how are we going to know if they're the real one?" Green Arrow stood up and folded his arms. A tide of whispering swept across the mass.

"You'll know" Batman said evasively, and with perfect timing Superman entered. Whoops of laughter and conversation started as Superman stood still, wishing he had pockets he could plunge his hands into.

He was now blonde.

It brought out the colour of his skin but on the whole didn't suit him, thought Diana. She knew almost zilch about cosmetics but knew if you were going to dye your hair an extreme shade it was preferable to dye your eyebrows the same colour. Nonetheless, it wasn't for decoration, it was to identify him in battle.

"That's awesome" Flash said.

"It's certainly something" she agreed "I think it will be a successful defence strategy"

"You mean a good _attack_ strategy. When all the other Supes catch a glance at his new hair, they'll be laughing too hard to kill us" This induced a laugh from Diana.

"I heard that" said Superman indignantly.

"I'd be more worried, _surfer-man_, about how Lois will take it" Flash fired back.

Shayera snickered, watching from the CCTV. She was still too weak to attend, and determined not to let her last moments of life pass by; from here she could spy on every bit of the station. Right now, most people in the crowd were proclaiming love to one another or awkwardly discussing tactics.

Like Flash, for instance, who leaned down and kissed Fire on the cheek.

"YOLO, right?" he said apologetically.

Fire smiled beautifically "You missed"

Flash's eyes stretched to inhuman proportions "What?"

"You missed" repeated Fire and kissed him on the mouth. Shayera smile increased as she viewed Flash's victory lap of the room. It was nice to have somebody to say goodbye to. She watched Black Canary and Green Arrow talk, her hand cupping his cheek, and Huntress and Question kissing with his mask rolled up (which was very surreal picture). Superman was on the phone to his parents before arranging to meet Lois. Wonder Woman was talking quietly into Batman's ear (what was going on with them anyway?) Stargirl and S.T.R. were hugging. Atom disappeared, muttering something about saying goodbye to Katie. Martian Manhunter was on the webcam with someone, an affectionate look on his face. Booster Gold was on the phone, presumably with his 'hot doctor'.

All very touching, except for possibly the latter. Shayera wished she was down there, absorbing the atmosphere instead of recovering only to be imminently slaughtered. The hospital doors opened and Green Lantern walked in.

"Shayera…" he began.

"Go away" she said peevishly. It may have been childish to banish someone from her room just when she was craving a visitor, but she wasn't going to take Vixen's sloppy seconds.

"Shove over" he ordered. When she didn't, he clambered onto her bed anyway.

"I'm going to spend the moments before Vixen" he informed her solemnly "She'll be the last person to hear my voice, probably. I just thought tonight you might need company"

That made Shayera feel better; he had come here of his own free will. So she grabbed his hand, and instinctively pressed it to her lips. She didn't need his kisses, or assurances, just _this_.

Sleep came soon to them both. The next morning they would be comrades but for tonight they were each other's first real loves, one last time.

Diana walked down the corridor, practising what the last thing she'd say to Batman would be.

"Good luck?" Too soldierish.

"I feel a lot for you?" Too oblique.

"I love you?" Too cliché.

It had to be something profound- she might never see him again. Thus thinking, she walked right into him. He looked as brusque as he sounded.

"Excuse me, Diana. I have important business"

She arched an eyebrow "I could come with you"

"You shouldn't"

Diana felt desperation tinge her natural composure "I care a lot about you, Bruce" she said gently "Stay out of trouble"

"Thank you. I will"

He leant backwards as she leant forwards, causing their lips to collide. For three glorious seconds there was no such thing as ten Supermans, no chance of dying or being separated. Then as they pulled away, reality struck them both.

"I care about you too, Diana" said Batman, a glimmer of emotion dancing across his masked visage "See you after the war" he added with complete conviction.

They separated, both feeling less anxious about the events to come. After the war they could dance, kiss and hold hands- Diana had always wondered what the big fuss about holding hands with someone was. Maybe she would know with Bruce.

_BUZZZZ._

"I don't like this new doorbell" Superman complained as he went to answer the door. Lois Lane stood on the step, looking as shy as he had ever seen her. This look vanished as she saw his yellow hair.

"Hello, stranger" she said, eyeballing his scalp "Can I come in?"

"Who's this lovely young lady?" asked Martha Kent, emerging into the hallway with her husband. Superman groaned. "_Muuuuum_"

"We're Clark's parents" she said warmly to Lois whose eyes widened instantaneously "But I thought- Superman-_Clark_?"

"You didn't know?" said Martha Kent, shocked. Reprovingly, she stared at Superman as Lois' face was desaturated of colour and her hands trembled slightly.

Lois gave Superman her Woman-Of-Steel look "You've got some explaining to do"

"That's no way to behave with the woman you care about, son" said Jonathon disapprovingly.

Superman felt like they were all ganging up on him "I was only doing it to protect her" he protested.

"I would have thought you could come up with a better lie than _that_" said Lois baldly, as she was welcomed into the house by Martha.

An hour later, laughter was drifting from the living room; Clark's baby photos were being circulated. Superman sat on an armchair in the far corner, his hands pressed over his face.

"Here, look, he's pulling the dog into the paddling pool!" said Lois, holding up a photo of Clark doing just that.

"Oh, when he was a toddler he used to love both of them" said Martha Kent fondly "He would ride the dog around naked in the paddling pool shouting 'I'm flying on a fish!'"

Lois giggled and Superman flushed. "Looks like you have more of a secret past than I credited you for, Clark" she smirked "Look, now he's sulking!"

"Ignore him- he's trying to be a bit of a party pooper, aren't you, lad?" said Jonathon.

Later, when Lois was at the doorstep with a tin of home-made toffee and an invitation to revisit at any time, Superman crossed his arms and scowled.

"You and my parents were ganging up on me" he accused sullenly.

"Come on, don't be such a baby, cute one though you were" cajoled Lois. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed the space between his ear and his face. Then, as she was hallway down the garden path she turned around and said too quietly for any human, but loud enough for him "I love you, Smallville"

It couldn't have been a better last evening, Superman decided, not knowing that nearly everyone in the league was thinking the same thing.

Hardly anyone spoke the next day, just the clicks of armour and the smell of metal. Many people ate seconds and thirds; not only because they wanted to keep their strength up but because it might be the last time they ever ate the food they liked. A speech from J'onn was being constantly relayed on the loudspeaker: "-remember to have your kryptonite ready. Magic people be ready to protect others around you. Fighters, keep your style defensive-"

"First attack" said Wonder Woman, intercepting J'onn on the loudspeakers. "Headed towards the South side of the Watchtower. People in Group A get to the main corridor in the South wing NOW"

She stopped the recorder and flew out of the Control Room to arrange Group A. As planned, Shayera took over her shift on viewing the attacks. Group A; a mix of fighters were already distributed along the snaking corridor because- CRASH. The wall buckled and two identical, dark-haired boys stood in the midst of the wreckage.

"Hi" they said in unison "We're the Super-Twins"

As the gravity tugged the Leaguers out into Space, Shayera in the control room activated the extra wall which slid shut behind them.

"Attack!" Wonder Woman bellowed. The Leaguers surged forwards, brandishing weapons or glittering with energy.

"Uh-oh- there's another set. Group B, with me" said Shayera, voice crackling over the speakers. Batman sat in her vacant seat and did a scan of the station.

Shayera grabbed the collar of Booster Gold (why did she have to have him in her group anyway?) and hauled him into the B crowd. "Keep alert, Shayera" said Superman "The next attackers are using the teleport pad"

"Move, we need to get to the teleport pad!" yelled Shayera, gesturing pointlessly towards the room. Leaguers burst in, shouting, to find the visitor sitting candidly on a metal platform.

"I don't believe it" she muttered as the horde slowed around her. For it was a clone of Superman, but an old one with grizzled grey hair and wraps of wrinkles around his neck and jaw. Someone laughed derisively (probably Booster Gold).

"WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Shayera roared and the Leaguers advanced.

Batman sprang out the computer chair as another attacker sliced the walls of the station.

"Group C, to Corridor 3" he transmitted, triggering another wall to cover the damage of this Superman clone. He raced, with the harem-scarum with the rabble of Group C.

A toddler was standing in the wreckage, apparently engrossed by it. As Group C proceeded, he looked up, bewildered.

"Get out of the way" said Batman through gritted teeth to the group "Slowly…"

Twin laser beams shot out of its eyes. Leaguers yelped and dived out of the trajectory.

Superman took the controls "We're being attacked from all sides" Martian Manhunter drifted up to him to examine the screens. "Groups don't matter" he said flatly "Just get the League members to cover all areas"

"OK" said Superman; he pressed a button and sent a message to the League members to cover all sides of the Watchtower. He and Martian Manhunter dashed out of the control room.

Shayera ducked; a Super Twin launched a fist at her. She swung her mace in retaliation, but the Super Twin yanked the maced end and hurled it into the ceiling. Zatanna retrieved it with magic and used it to fend blows from the Super Baby. The Twin kicked out at Shayera, making her dodge but not quick enough, his foot connected with her knee…

"Get out of the way" said Wonder Woman, shoving Shayera aside, who grabbed at the wall for support . Diana picked the Super Twin up and hurled him to the far end of the room. Smashing through several layers of wall, he attempted to get up.

"You are going to regret that" he growled.

"Am I?" Diana asked sweetly, dropping a small pebble of kryptonite onto his body. Super Twin groaned.

"Behind you!" Shayera yelled. However, it was too late; Old Superman snuck up to her shoulder and punched her so hard that she crumpled to the ground, eyes sliding shut. "Bruce…hold…hand" she murmured. Shayera scrabbled frantically at her wrist and neck for a pulse

"You _bastard_"

Batman appeared at his side.

"You worthless piece of _scum_"

He launched several blows. Each was remarkably effective as he had inbuilt kryptonite into the knuckles of his gloves for this very purpose.

"Do you have any idea of what you've done?"

When Old Superman tried to hit him, he seized his hand and swung him backwards.

"Get-"

_Kick._

"Out-"

_Kick._

"Of-"

_Kick._

"My-"

_Kick._

"SIGHT!"

Old Superman didn't get up. Shayera, despite her scorn over profuse crying, was sobbing so hard she could see specks of blood in the corner of her vision. Wonder Woman lay motionless beside her.

Superman, the real Superman, nodded to Batman who scooped up Diana whereas he picked Shayera up and carried her away from the rubble.

"Survivors guilt" said Superman, stroking Shayera' s hair in a brotherly fashion. Dead Leaguers lay everywhere like leaves that had been trod on by too many children. Supermans were mixed among them; it was disconcerting to say in the least. Yet some stirred and started questioning their location, so Shayera's weeping eased a little.

"What are we going to do now?" she sniffled finally. They had reached the tent with the handful of survivors. Scars were slashed into their skin, blood streaking down their costumes but thankful smiles illuminated their dirty faces.

"We'll go back to the start" said Superman, setting her down gently.


	10. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

PART ONE

"It sucks that Dinah is still in a coma" said Green Arrow. He had sat at her bedside for three whole days now and had only mustered the energy to speak when the doctors had informed him that she had a 98% chance of waking up within the next week.

"I wouldn't worry- she's probably in there dreaming about her big white wedding" said Huntress, not unkindly as she passed by with Question.

"Checkmate" said Shayera on a nearby table whilst thinking _that one was for you, John_. Brushing the chess pieces aside, Aquaman scowled, maybe not as fiercely as usual.

"Beaten by a female traitor" he remarked.

"That's right"

They half-smiled at each other. The League, due to a deficiency of members, had grown a lot closer. Batman had calculated in around ten years' time they'd have completely recovered their number of members so they Leaguers were savouring the peace while it lasted.

"On behalf of the Justice League, I'd like to offer you back membership" Superman announced to Huntress.

"What do you think, babydoll?" said Huntress to Question.

"I think you should take it" said Question "That way you won't have to keep smuggling back onto the watchtower"

"Joke" he added hastily as five pairs of accusing eyes swivelled to Huntress.

"Question with a sense of humour. Who'd have thought it?" Superman asked Lois.

"I know" She sighed. "Do you think I could write an article about Huntress' pregnancy?"

"I'd have to protect you from multiple assassination attempts"

"That wouldn't be so bad"

"I know"

"Anyway, do you know who Batman's 'friend' is, the one joining the League?"

"I don't, but I think it's too soon for him to be replacing Diana" frowned Superman.

"Can I quote you on that?" Lois asked eagerly, as Zatanna wandered past. "I don't think he is" she said, a hint of a secretive smile on her face.

Green Arrow wandered over to them, an expression of joy across his masked face "I'm the godfather of Helena's baby!" he crowed before hurtling back and demanding Best Man rights at their wedding.

"Good _luck_" said Lois who was busy trying to dictate every word of every current conversation in the room.

"I think it's great that the League is getting back on their feet" said Superman animatedly "That child will be very powerful and much loved. If a little unstable…"

"_Ahem_. Isn't our baby half-human, half Kryptonian?"

"It will be when the time comes, yes bu-"

Lois looked up sharply "I thought you were supposed to have x-ray vision?"

PART TWO

"_Black Canary apparently did snap out of her coma" Supergirl summed up, scrolling down the page "She had a wedding. All the Justice League members came" She pointed at a radiant Dinah clutching an extravagant bouquet. "I want a dress like that!" "_

_Brainiac 5 looked alarmed "What happened to Huntress' baby?" he asked, hastily._

"_Allegedly it was born just after another wedding. It was a girl." There was a picture of a baby; dark eyed like Helena and with light hair like Vic "I'm surprised it wasn't faceless. Let's check out Batman's profile"_

_She clicked. "His personal greatest achievement was stealing a cloning machine and sending a duplicate of a fellow League member into battle"_

"_Which one?" _

"_I don't even have to look to know _that_ one…Oh- and Clark and Lois had a baby too! I have another cousin!"_

"_They'll be alive- you should look them up" advised Brainiac 5. Supergirl opened up a new window and started to type in the search bar. _

PART THREE

Away, out of the smudges of streetlight, two figures sat on a rooftop. One was broad chested and tall, with a shadowy cloak that flapped in the wind. The other possessed a strikingly feminine figure and wore red and blue that could just be seen through the rich darkness of the night. They were holding hands…

THE END


End file.
